Just around the corner is my first convention of 2015 AnomalyCon. I’ve never been to Colorado before, so I’m looking forward to escape the NY cold a bit for some Rocky Mountain air. Below is my programming line-up. If anyone can bring me a coffee or brownie (no, not *that* kind) during one of my 4-hour paneling stints, you will earn a gold star for the weekend.

FridayDeveloping Character through Costuming
Fri 5pm Fashion
A discussion of the Who behind your costume and developing character through design. M. Unruh, Ay-leen the Peacemaker.

Sexuality and Gender Identity in Fiction
Fri 6pm Safety/Sexuality (Fiction)
A discussion of the good and bad ways that mainstream fiction is exploring gender identity and sexuality, and how we can do better.
Panelists: K. Seibert (M), Ay-leen the Peacemaker, A. Rogers, M. TanzerClosing the Loop
Fri 7pm Writing
Editing and re-editing and outlining and reviewing and getting your book out to an agent…you have so much to do now that you’ve finished your first novel draft. Where do you go from here?
Panelists: B. Dornbusch, S. Chambers, J. Brawner, Ay-leen the Peacemaker

Steampunk Theater
Fri 8pm Fiction
What’s out there? What good could Steampunk do in theater?
Panelists: Ay-leen the Peacemaker, A. Rogers, S. Rahmsdorff

Coming Out in The Geek Community
Sat 2pm Safety/Sexuality
Sometimes we forget that not everyone is accepting, or that the community is there to support us. We’ll talk about our coming out stories, and about the help available to you if you need support.
Panelists: K. Seibert, L.J. Hachmeister, Ay-leen the Peacemaker, A. Rogers, M. Fowler

The -Gater Phenomenon
Sat 3pm Safety/Sexuality
What does it mean to be a gatekeeper? What does Gamergate even mean? Why do things like Gamergate happen, and how can people not caught in the crossfire help with these problems?
Panelists: Ay-leen the Peacemaker, A. Rogers, J. Koyanagi, A. Peter, S. Schafer

Cosplay is Not Consent
Sat 5pm Safety/Sexuality
What does this tagline mean? What kinds of expectations are we overlaying on male versus female cosplayers, and what is appropriate at a convention?
Panelists: Ay-leen the Peacemaker, A. Rogers, G. Feiner, C. Rose (M)

About Beyond Victoriana

The Nutshell ExplanationBeyond Victoriana is the oldest-running blog about multicultural steampunk and retro-futurism--that is, steampunk outside of a Western-dominant, Eurocentric framework. Founded in 2009, Beyond Victoriana focuses on non-Western cultures, underrepresented minorities in Western histories (Asian / Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, First Nation, Hispanic, black / African & other marginalized identities), and the cultural intersection between the West and the non-West.